A Clinical Investigation on ADHD-Traits in Childhood Celiac Disease

Psychological, Psychiatric, and Organic Brain Manifestations of Celiac Disease

INTRODUCTION

Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition that affects approximately 1% of the population worldwide. Although its main impact often concerns the small intestine, resulting in villous atrophy and nutrient malabsorption, it can also cause systemic manifestations, particularly when undiagnosed or left untreated.

METHOD

Attention is directed to the possible psychological, psychiatric, and organic brain manifestations of celiac disease. Specific topics related to the influence and risk of such manifestations with respect to celiac disease are defined and discussed. Overall, eighteen main topics are considered, sifted from over 500 references.

RESULTS

The most often studied topics were found to be the effect on quality of life, organic brain dysfunction and ataxia, epilepsy, Down syndrome, generalized psychological disorders, eating dysfunction, depression, and schizophrenia. For most every topic, although many studies report a connection to celiac disease, there are often one or more contrary studies and opinions. A bibliographic analysis of the cited articles was also done. There has been a sharp increase in interest in this research since 1990. Recently published articles tend to receive more referencing, up to as many as 15 citations per year, suggesting an increasing impact of the topics. The number of manuscript pages per article has also tended to increase, up to as many as 12 pages. The impact factor of the publishing journal has remained level over the years.

CONCLUSION

This compendium may be useful in developing a consensus regarding psychological, psychiatric, and organic brain manifestations that can occur in celiac disease and for determining the best direction for ongoing research focus.

Psychiatric and Neurological Manifestations of Celiac Disease in Adults

Celiac disease (CD), a chronic inflammatory disorder of the intestines, affects 0.7% to 1.4% of the world's population. CD causes diarrhea, abdominal discomfort, bloating, flatulence, and, in rare cases, constipation in the digestive tract. Since the identification of gluten as the disease-causing antigen, CD patients have been treated with a gluten-free diet, which is advantageous but has limitations for certain patient groups. CD is associated with mood disorders, such as manic-depressive disease, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder, as well as other disorders such as depression and anxiety. The relationship between CD and psychological issues is not entirely understood. Here, we look at the most recent psychiatric data as they pertain to CD, as well as the relevant psychiatric manifestations that have been associated with this condition. Clinicians should examine mental health factors when a CD diagnosis is established. More research is needed to understand the pathophysiology of CD's psychiatric manifestations.